Inmate dies at Lake County jail, no foul play suspected

LAKEPORT -- Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility that occurred Saturday morning.

While the cause of death is under investigation, foul play does not appear to be a factor in the cause of death, according to Lake County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) Lt. Steve Brooks.

At about 9:05 a.m. Saturday a correctional officer was conducting routine cell checks inside a housing unit at the county jail when he noticed something was wrong with an inmate, Brooks stated. Medical staff was called in and determined that the man was not breathing and did not have any vital signs.

CPR was attempted by the medical and correctional staff, as well as rescue personnel from the Lakeport Fire Protection District for several minutes, but the subject was unable to be revived, Brooks stated. CPR was discontinued at approximately 9:30 a.m.

LCSO detectives and an investigator from the Lake County District Attorney's Office were called out to the scene, along with members of the sheriff's command staff, Brooks stated. Both agencies are conducting parallel investigations as to the circumstances leading up to, and the cause of the inmate's death.

The inmate was housed alone, Brooks stated. The exact cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy, which will be scheduled for early next week.